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Roughly 14 hours before Sunday's noon game against Florida, Ellis received a phone call from Auburn athletic director David Housel. The news: Housel got word that star forward Chris Porter allegedly was contacted by an agent.

Allegedly -- a word that rings as innocent until proven guilty.

But for Ellis and Housel, allegedly was good enough to stoke the fires for immediate action. Porter was shipped back to Alabama within minutes of Ellis' notification. He did not suit up against the Gators, and he might not ever play again for the Tigers, pending an internal investigation that will more than likely have big brother NCAA peeking over Auburn's shoulder.

Auburn's 88-59 loss to Florida was its second in a row. But the biggest loss occurred when Porter left in the middle of the night, his future -- and teammates -- in the dark. Housel said Porter won't play until he answers questions about his possible involvement with an agent. His teammates didn't learn the fate of their superstar until a pregame meeting.

"We just found out before the game," point guard Doc Robinson said. "It's tough to lose a player like him, but we're praying and hoping that he gets through his situation. We're hoping we get Chris back."

This isn't about a team losing its star player. It's about a university taking prompt, aggressive action. Auburn should be applauded for the way it dealt with Porter's situation.

The mere mention of Porter and agent in the same sentence evoked an immediate response from Auburn's athletic administration. The Tigers could have laid low and buried this thing for as long as they could while Porter finished out his career in the conference and NCAA tournaments.

But Auburn chose the high road, no matter how far it might bring this program down.

"I think it was important to take immediate action," Ellis said. "I would think probably that this would be how every school would want to handle situations like this one. It's a sick, sick situation the way these people prey on athletes. They're like leeches.

"The main thing I told Chris is to be honest. Whatever the circumstances, he has to be forthright. If he made a mistake, admit it and let's move on. If he's honest about everything that happened, that's the most important thing. I'd hope they (the NCAA) would take into consideration that young people make mistakes. If he tells the truth and we lose him ... so be it. We just need to get out all the facts and get to the bottom of it."

Porter could have jumped to the NBA a season ago but opted to return for his senior year. He turned down millions but allegedly couldn't resist the glad-handing of an agent.

His absence is coming at the most critical stretch of the season. Auburn trails LSU by a game for the SEC West crown and plays host to those other Tigers on Wednesday in a game that will decide the division champion. For a team that has underachieved despite its No.8 ranking, Wednesday is as close to a must-win as it gets.

If he is indeed at fault, not only did he betray his team, but he turned his back on an entire university. Sure, Porter will suffer by losing some or all of the remaining games of his senior season. But what happens next year, when he's counting his NBA millions and Auburn is dealing with the possible repercussions of his actions?

The real loser is Auburn, not Chris Porter. Before every season, each college athlete is told of and warned about potential contact with agents. Porter might not have heeded any of them. He, like so many others, might have fallen into the same trap.

"You have no choice, you have to take action as soon as it happens," said Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley, who suspended three football players from last year's Orange Bowl because of improper dealings with an agent. "Auburn did the right thing. I know Cliff runs a good program and I know David is a fine AD. As soon as they heard, they did something about it.

"We, all the athletic staffs from the administration to the coaches, try to educate players, but some we don't reach. All we can do is keep trying to educate them. And when something like this happens, just address it in the proper fashion. It is what it is. And you do what you do to address it."

Give Auburn credit. It addressed the situation immediately. Ellis and Housel nipped this thing in the bud as soon as they were aware of the alleged contact.

Too bad if Chris Porter didn't do the same thing.